Daily Clips for October 25, 2010

FEATURED STORIES U.S. Senate candidates spar in debate at USF By William March Tampa Tribune Related: Watch the debate Related: Some Democrats thinking strategically on Senate vote Related AP story: Fla. gubernatorial hopefuls to debate for last time Monday night In a debate marked by crosstalk and verbal jabs, Florida's three U.S. Senate candidates tried to stake their territory and sharpen their images, mostly on familiar issues, in a Sunday morning debate on CNN. TCPalm.com/Zogby poll: Sink opens lead over Scott in governor's race By Ryan Mills TC Palm Related: TCPalm.com/Zogby poll: Rubio pulling away from Crist, Meek Driven by the overwhelming support of independents and moderates, Democrat Alex Sink has opened a nearly 5-point lead over her Republican opponent, Rick Scott, in the race to be Florida’s next governor, a new TCPalm.com/Zogby poll shows. Rick Scott and Alex Sink diverge on environment By Craig Pittman St. Petersburg Times Related editorial: Scott's development policy bad for Florida Related editorial: Scott's Florida is grim place for average citizen If you don't think humans cause global warming, offshore drilling might still be a good idea for Florida and growth management should be left to local governments and not state bureaucrats, then Republican Rick Scott is your candidate for governor. Are Democrats taking black voters for granted? By Jane Musgrave Palm Beach Post Gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink was quietly jeered at a NAACP candidate forum last week in Miami. Six House seats could help tip balance of power By George Bennett Palm Beach Post In two months of TV advertising, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein has kept mum about his record in Washington, where he supported the health care and stimulus bills and went along with his party on 98 percent of votes. GOP leader faces tough Senate race in Jacksonville By Brent Kallestad The Associated Press Florida legislators rarely lose re-election, but the Democrats have one powerful Republican they hope to defeat: Sen. John Thrasher, who doubles as state GOP chairman. EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK By Chan Lowe South Florida Sun-Sentinel Artist’s commentary: Buying the midterm election FLORIDA POLITICS Ethics panel spells out who McCollum can lobby By Gary Fineout Florida Tribune Calling it a model for the future, the Florida Commission on Ethics on Friday adopted a detailed opinion that spells out who Attorney General Bill McCollum can and cannot lobby once he leaves office. Rep. Miller in line for veterans committee post By Bart Jansen Pensacola News Journal If the Nov. 2 elections give Republicans control of the House as expected, Rep. Jeff Miller could become chairman of the committee that oversees issues vital to veterans living in Florida's Panhandle. A recap of how Tampa Bay's legislators voted By Howard Troxler St. Petersburg Times For the past few weeks we've been looking at how our Tampa Bay legislators voted on a series of controversial bills since the last election. POLITICAL RACES Marco Rubio takes huge lead in Senate race, a new Times/Herald/Bay News 9 poll shows By Adam C. Smith and Beth Reinhard St. Petersburg Times Related: Republicans appear headed to sweep Cabinet races Related: Voters unlikely to approve constitutional amendment proposals Republican Marco Rubio is on the verge of delivering one of the biggest political knockouts in Florida history, as a new St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 poll shows him barreling into Florida's open U.S. Senate seat 15 percentage points ahead of Gov. Charlie Crist. Aggressive Crist plays role of "heckler" in Senate debate By Beth Reinhard St. Petersburg Times Related: Transcript of the "heckler" exchange from U.S. Senate debate Related Politifact rulings: CNN/St. Petersburg Times debate brings attacks old and new Related editorial: Rubio’s rigid ideology Gov. Charlie Crist tried to turn himself into a human speed bump to stop U.S. Senate front-runner Marco Rubio from racing into the last week of the campaign, frequently rising up out of turn during Sunday's nationally televised debate with sweeping accusations against Rubio's politics and character. 'Welcome to the NFL': Charlie Crist, Kendrick Meek hit hard in Senate debate with Marco Rubio By George Bennett Palm Beach Post Charlie Crist and Kendrick Meek cited their football-playing pasts during a nationally televised debate this morning as both Senate candidates tried to deliver a helmet-jarring hit against Republican frontrunner Marco Rubio with time running out in the campaign. Crist hammers Rubio in debate By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News With time running out in the U.S. Senate race, Gov. Charlie Crist fought so hard to depict Marco Rubio as a right-wing extremist Sunday that the Republican nominee called him a "heckler" in their nationally televised debate. Hardscrabble past in Miami powers Kendrick Meek By Zac Anderson Sarasota Herald-Tribune The news was not good last week as Kendrick Meek brought his campaign for U.S. Senate back to this poor Miami neighborhood where he grew up. The Apprentice: Jeb Bush, the man behind Marco Rubio By Joy-Ann Reid The Reid Report If, as the pundits and prognosticators expect, Florida voters elect Marco Rubio to the U.S. Senate, the tea party may get the credit from the media, but Rubio will owe a much greater debt to someone else: former Florida governor Jeb Bush. Democrats' chances with Alex Sink may ride on black voters turning out to support Kendrick Meek By Jim Stratton Orlando Sentinel In Florida's three-way race for the U.S. Senate, Congressman Kendrick Meek is stuck in third, 20 points behind frontrunner Marco Rubio and facing almost certain defeat. Rick Scott, Alex Sink campaigns spent $5 million in single week By Michael Peltier Miami Herald Candidates for governor combined to spend more than $5 million in their respective bids last week as they saturated the air waves and amped up efforts to finish strongly in a race set to end in less than two weeks, the state Division of Elections reported on Friday. Sink, Scott promise jobs are top goal By Jeff Ostrowski Palm Beach Post In a close and unusually nasty governor's race, there's one thing rivals Alex Sink and Rick Scott can agree on: Florida desperately needs jobs. Palin helps rally Orlando Republicans as election nears By Jim Stratton Orlando Sentinel With former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin leading the charge, Florida Republicans sought to rally their base Saturday, telling a cheering crowd of activists and party officials that a GOP wave was poised to wash over Tallahassee and Washington. Palin stumps for GOP candidates in Orlando By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News Lampooning Tallahassee's "turtle tunnel" as an example of wasteful stimulus spending, Sarah Palin told fired-up Republicans on Saturday that Florida can change the country's direction by electing GOP congressional challengers next month. Candidates for governor, Senate keeping an eye on states' unemployment figures By Michael A. Memoli Orlando Sentinel The national unemployment rate has long been identified as an important electoral metric, particularly so this year for Democrats seeking to hold majorities in Congress. Few ideological stances by Sink By Brandon Larrabee Florida Times-Union For more than a year now, Alex Sink has been running for governor, unveiling positions on issues ranging from the economy to public safety. Alex Sink turns attention to I-4 corridor as governor’s election nears By Leslie Williams Hale Naples Daily News In a tight, unpredictable race, Alex Sink is hoping to turn the tide one Silly Band and Facebook photo at a time. Following the footsteps of Walkin' Lawton. Alex Sink campaigns in North Florida By Michael C. Bender St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Alex Sink quickly identifies the bulldog mascot on Wanda Kemp's denim shirt and asks about the Friday night high school game. Sink Courting Rural Voters By John Kennedy News Service of Florida With campaign stops across North Florida, Democrat Alex Sink tried to woo support Friday from rural voters - rallying a loosely defined, but potent swing bloc that once powered late Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles to a hard-fought second term. Ignoring her black base Staff Report Florida Courier Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink turned down an offer no other Florida politician running for statewide office would consciously refuse. Secrecy envelops Scott campaign By Jeremy Cox Florida Times-Union Ousted as the leader of a hospital chain amid a federal fraud probe, unsuccessful in his bid to defeat Democrats' larger-government solution to health care, Rick Scott nevertheless struck a familiar theme as he began the third chapter of his public life. Nurses say former hospital exec Rick Scott not best prescription for Florida By Eloisa Ruano Gonzalez Orlando Sentinel While supporters gathered Saturday in Apopka to rally for Rick Scott, a group of nurses held their own event to oppose the Republican gubernatorial candidate. Corrections workers weigh gubernatorial candidates By Jim Ash Florida Capital News In the heart of North Florida prison country, where corrections jobs are handed down like a birthright and mistrust of government runs high, picking a governor has become more complicated than marking Democrat or Republican. Rod Smith says Rick Scott is using Obama to paint the Democratic ticket as liberal By George Bennett Palm Beach Post Barack Obama was a symbol of hope and change only two years ago. Law-enforcement ties, bipartisan reach seen in Rod Smith's appeal By Bridget Murphy Florida Times-Union When Rod Smith argued for a serial killer's execution in 1994, more than just Gainesville was watching. From stammering to spot-on: Jennifer Carroll's abrupt evolution By Matt Dixon Florida Times-Union It was not a smooth roll-out. Scott, Sink Differ in Environmental Policy Stances By Tom Palmer Lakeland Ledger Environmental issues usually don't play a large role in gubernatorial campaigns, according to veteran Audubon lobbyist Charles Lee. Gubernatorial candidates get big bucks from different donors By Aaron Deslatte Orlando Sentinel With hundreds of thousands of ballots already cast in the governor's race, Alex Sink was scrounging for votes in small North Florida communities Friday with a style reminiscent of Democratic candidates of decades past — appealing to fiscal conservatism and promising to help bring jobs. Stark policy differences separate attorney general candidates Pam Bondi and Dan Gelber By Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau In the cozy confines of a cable TV studio, Pam Bondi and Dan Gelber exchanged light banter, but when the lights went on the tone changed dramatically. Dan Gelber says attack mailer is insulting and inaccurate By Paula McMahon South Florida Sun-Sentinel A round of political mailers and newspaper ads, targeting Jewish voters in South Florida, is attacking Democratic attorney general nominee Dan Gelber's criticism of the state's school voucher program. Interview with US Rep Alan Grayson who faces uphill battle for reelection By Sean Kinane WMNF Community Radio Tampa One of the most progressive members of the U.S. Congress represents parts of the Orlando area…and his seat is in danger. Shady Florida PAC continues to spend big in national races By Luke Johnson Florida Independent The Ending Spending Fund, a recently incorporated “super PAC” registered to CPA Nancy Watkins at a Tampa address housing 32 other active political committees in Florida, spent $555,562 in media buys Thursday in three close House races as well as the deadlocked Nevada Senate race. Getting lowdown on judges on the ballot not easy By Chad Smith Gainesville Sun With no campaigning, fundraising or opponents, Florida's Supreme Court justices and appellate court judges are undefeated in that voters have never rejected one. Republicans pick Rob Wallace as state Senate candidate in District 12 By Janet Zink St. Petersburg Times Republican Party leaders on Saturday chose former state Rep. Rob Wallace to replace Jim Norman on the November ballot as the state Senate candidate in District 12. BALLOT INITIATIVES Former Florida Secretary of State Browning leads Republican-bankrolled anti-Fair Districts group By Bianca Fortis Florida Independent One particularly heated debate during the current election is the battle over Amendments 5 and 6, which, if passed, would create stricter rules for legislators to follow while redrawing state districts. It's about control: 'Yes' on Amendment 4 puts it in your hands By Byron Keesler Florida Independent In recommending a vote against Amendment 4 to the Florida Constitution (Editorial Board recommendations, Oct. 9), the PNJ suggests that amendments to local comprehensive plans are "exactly the sort of thing representative government is supposed to handle." Class-size limits again up for vote By Linda Trimble Daytona Beach News-Journal Linda White and Amy Nowell both voted in 2002 to amend the Florida Constitution to limit the size of classes in the state's public schools. Stand and deliver for students: Vote no on 8 By Karen Aronowitz Miami Herald The Legislature has painted a bull’s eye on our school districts, expecting that parents and teachers will back down from their support of the class-size amendment. Amendment 8: Bait and switch is being used By Rocky Hanna Florida Tmes-Union As a high school principal, I'm charged with ensuring the highest quality education possible to nearly 2,000 students every year. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Should BP’s Money Go Where the Oil Didn’t? By David Segal New York Times In late April, a week after the BP oil spill began, Keith Overton had an alarming encounter with one of his employees here at the TradeWinds Resort. Learn from oil spills or be doomed to repeat them By Chasidy Fisher Hobbs Pensacola News Journal BP has another deepwater rig, Atlantis, in even deeper water than the Deepwater Horizon, with a similar record. So much for the oil spill's impact By Fred Grimm Miami Herald Not only did that giant horrible plume of oil seem to disperse in the Gulf, it disappeared from politics. LGBT Gay adoption ban officially ends, state won't appeal court ruling By Mary Ellen Klas and Mimi Whitefield Miami Herald Frank Martin Gill and his partner breathed a big sigh of relief after learning that Attorney General Bill McCollum on Friday had announced he would not appeal last month's appellate court ruling striking down Florida's 33-year law banning adoptions by gay couples. End of Florida's gay adoption ban increases pool of prospective parents By Georgia East South Florida Sun-Sentinel For 33 years, Florida forced them to hide behind a veil of secrecy. Anti-bullying efforts must specifically address gays Editorial South Florida Sun-Sentinel Out of tragedy often comes progress. EDUCATION Parents say FCAT an unreliable measure of student, school performance By Rebecca Catalanello St. Petersburg Times Related: Poll shows high school parents want AP classes open to all students Tampa Bay parents overwhelmingly believe the state-required FCAT standardized test is an unreliable measure of student and school performance, according to a recent St. Petersburg Times-Bay News 9 poll. Pell Grants popular again By Dave Breitenstein Ft. Myers News-Press Southwest Florida is leading a statewide resurrection of Pell Grants, a historically underutilized program that pays tuition bills and buys textbooks for college students. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Florida's unemployment rate rose to 11.9 percent in September By Jeff Harrington St. Petersburg Times Government was in job creation mode a year ago, in hope that new public sector positions and federal stimulus jobs would lead Florida out of the Great Recession. Stimulus jobs program falls short By Rebecca Basu Florida Today Ten months ago, a stimulus-funded jobs program designed to spark the hiring of low-income citizens filled more than 750 jobs in Brevard County among the 5,500 jobs it generated statewide. HEALTH AND SENIORS Health care on voters' minds By Barbara Peters Smith Sarasota Herald-Tribune Just seven months after President Barack Obama signed into law a historic plan to reform the nation's health care system, Florida's Nov. 2 election is turning into a virtual referendum on whether the state welcomes the new law, or fights it every step of the way. Poll: Americans split on health care repeal By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Jennifer Agiesta The Associated Press An AP-GfK poll finds likely voters split on whether the health-care law should be scrapped or retooled. Cities start employee clinics to keep health care costs down By Bill DiPaolo Palm Beach Post When 12-year-old Anna Koeser hurt her right ankle dancing a few weeks ago, the Delray Beach resident went to the city's health clinic on Northeast Third Avenue. She was X-rayed and fitted with a brace. Halloween Costumes "Mask" Dangers for FL Kids By Gina Presson Public News Service Florida Halloween costumes can be scary - although Florida parents may not realize just how scary. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Report: Tea Party Movement Racist By Ralph De La Cruz Florida Center for Investigative Reporting Devin Burghart and Leonard Zeskind have made careers out of ferreting out white nationalists and extemist anti-immigrant groups. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS New Approach to Prison Costs Coming - But Whose? By Margie Menzel WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee Republican candidate Rick Scott roiled the governor's race by proposing to slash $1 billion from the Department of Corrections budget - nearly half. Champion of Florida's palatial court once preached frugality By Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times Four times Paul M. Hawkes tried to become a judge, four times without success. Inmates' health costing millions By Jay Stapleton Daytona Beach News-Journal The state won't have the expense of trying a man accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death, but Christopher Jodon -- who died after he hanged himself in jail -- left behind a medical bill of more than $51,000. Broward School Board won't say why it gave up $507,942 to help developer By Megan O'Matz South Florida Sun-Sentinel Six Broward School Board members voted unanimously in 2007 to forgo $507,942 in fees from a developer without question, without debate. Medicare money paid for posh life, court files show By Jay Weaver Miami Herald Lawrence Duran and Marianella Valera loved spending taxpayers' money.